1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of defensive weapons and more particularly to a defensive weapon comprising a multi-cartridge, remotely operated, TASER.RTM. system affixed to a video camera for remote selection of the boresight direction for cartridge activation.
2. Prior Art
A non-lethal, cartridge-based TASER.RTM. weapon is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,803,463 issued Apr. 9, 1974 entitled WEAPON FOR IMMOBILIZATION AND CAPTURE; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,132 issued Feb. 24, 1981 entitled POWER SUPPLY FOR WEAPON FOR IMMOBILIZATION AND CAPTURE. Each cartridge comprises a pair of wire tethered contacts such as darts and a propulsion source such as gun powder, gas, or the like. The wires are connected to opposite polarities of a high voltage, low current, pulsed source of power. Upon activation of the weapon, the two darts are explosively propelled toward a selected target. Simultaneously, the high voltage is applied through the wires to the metal pins of the darts. The voltage is applied across the target's surface, producing a non-lethal, but temporarily disabling pulsed current.
The applicant's parent application, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,183 of which the present application is a continuation-in-part, discloses a multiple cartridge weapon which may be used in a manner analogous to mines to disable multiple personnel, but without the lethality of unexploded mines inadvertently activated by innocent bystanders after hostilities have ended. However, the mine-like weapon is implemented without real time control and without any form of accurate aiming as is typical in a more conventional TASER.RTM. weapon.
There is a continuing need for a multiple cartridge TASER.RTM. system which may be used for defense against multiple personnel and which can be used to fire one cartridge at a time at accurately selected targets and under real time personnel control.